United States seizes Nicolás Maduro's plane

The plane usually used by the dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was seized by U.S. authorities. The seizure occurred after it was determined that the acquisition of the plane violated sanctions imposed on the Chavista regime. It was previously in the Dominican Republic and arrived in Florida.

Officials described the plane as the Venezuelan equivalent of Air Force One. A U.S. government official maintained that the intention of the action is to send a message to the Venezuelan leadership. The move comes amid pressures on Maduro after the election that the Venezuelan opposition, led by María Corina Machado, claims to have won with more than 60% of the vote after a review of the voting records.

"Seizing the foreign head of state’s plane is unheard-of for criminal matters. We're sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions," said an official in conversation with CNN, which first reported the seizure.

According to published information, the plane has an estimated value of $13 million and had been in the Dominican Republic for the past several months. It was also learned that several federal agencies were involved in the seizure, most notably the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Department of Justice.

"U.S. officials worked closely with the Dominican Republic, which notified Venezuela of the seizure, according to one of the US officials. One of the next steps, upon arriving to the U.S., will be pursuing forfeiture, meaning the Venezuelan government has a chance to petition for it, and collecting evidence from the aircraft," CNN highlighted.